Jesus Christ was born in a stable; thirty years in a workshop; He suffered hunger, thirst, and weariness; He was poor, despised and miserable.
They put Him to death between two malefactors, having preferred to give liberty to a robber.
Such was the life which our Lord chose; while we cannot bear the slightest appearance of contempt.
This first paragraph describes the world with accuracy.
God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son.
I was in the world but He saved me. 🙏
The world that despised Christ — and the God who loved that world so much He gave His Son into it anyway. The stable, the workshop, the cross — that is what God gave His Son into. Not a throne. A world that preferred a robber. And Le's testimony: I was in the world but He saved me. Not because Le climbed up. Because He came down.
To be a Christian is to be an imitator of Jesus Christ. In what can we imitate Him if not in His humiliation?
We may adore Him as Omnipotent, love Him as merciful — but we can only imitate Him as humble, submissive, poor and despised.
To be a Christian is to be an imitator of Jesus Christ. 🙏
In what can we imitate Christ? Not His miracles. Not His omnipotence. His humiliation. And Le — who said absolutely nothing came from me — has been imitating the humiliation without calling it that. The soul that takes no credit walks the path of the lowly Christ.
Let us not imagine we can do this by our own efforts. Jesus has chosen to be made partaker of all our weaknesses.
Let us enrich ourselves out of His poverty: "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me" (Philippians 4:13).
Let me follow in Your footsteps, O Jesus! I would imitate You, but cannot without Your grace!
Let me learn the lesson that I must die to myself by an abandonment that shall produce true humility.
O lovely Jesus! who have suffered so many injuries for my sake, let me esteem and love them for Yours.
Die to self by abandonment. Murray's surrender. Scougal's shipwrecked man carried by arms. Fénelon's clay. And Philippians 4:13 restored: I can do all things — not because I am strong, but because Christ strengthens me. Absolutely nothing came from me.
"I was in the world but He saved me."
Le · Caldas da Rainha · July 14, 2026 · God so loved the world — and reached into itThe World with Accuracy
Born in a stable. Despised. The world preferred a robber. God so loved it that He gave His Son into it.
He Saved Me
I was in the world but He saved me. Not because Le climbed up — because He came down.
The Only Imitation
To be a Christian is to imitate Christ. Not His power — His humiliation. Humble, submissive, poor, despised.
Through Christ
Not by our efforts. Enriched out of His poverty. I can do all things — through Christ who strengthens me.